Illinois Department of Agriculture

STAR, Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources, an initiative developed by farmers for farmers, recently released its annual report for the 2020 crop year.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest nearly $75 million for 15 partner-led projects to address natural resource concerns on private lands.

A pilot program aimed at helping farmers and farm families struggling with stress-related mental health issues is expanding to serve all of Illinois.

Working together and keeping an open dialog were common themes during Jean Payne’s leadership at the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, and those qualities were reiterated at her retirement party.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture on Aug. 2 issued the first round of adult-use cannabis licenses established under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. The department issued 32 initial Craft Grow licenses, 28 Infuser licenses and 9 Transporter licenses.

Illinois growers are invited to enroll in Anhydrous Ammonia Certified Grower Training sessions to fulfill state requirements on mandatory safety training.

The Vermilion Watershed Field Tour will be held Aug. 11 to explore conservation and soil health practices that will benefit both the watershed and the bottom line.

Implementation of cover crops will play a major role in reaching the goals established by the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy and a farm organization is helping to deliver that message directly to farmers this summer.

Each spring, temperatures rise and the snowpack melts replenishing the moisture in our soils and water in our local streams. Many of these bodies of water flow into the Mississippi River and eventually that water makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico. This is a seasonal reminder that the things we do in the upper Mississippi River basin have an impact on our neighbors downstream.

The industrial hemp industry is still in its infancy in Illinois and a new venture is underway to create viable models for its success. Mississippi Fiberworks was developed last year at the Savanna Industrial Park, and Robert Davies detailed the new initiative at the recent Illinois Hemp Summit, hosted by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.